Thursday, December 13, 2007

I am here.I am there.I'm sick of wearing underwear.

Haha, well not really ;)Just a bit bored.

I went to see Sunno))) and Boris on Monday night in London. It was rather minted, I enjoyed the show very much and the thudding sensations throbbed right through my little body, leaving me highly entertained my sweets.

I think I'm rambling, so I'll post again when I'm feeling a bit more on weathered ground.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

No more broadcast journalism...EVER!!! You do not know how good that sounds. No more calling up and asking permission to film here and there, no more embarrassments/inadequate feelings over not being able to edit the 'right' way or letting anybody down. For today I had my final assesment- the TV newsday.

It meant getting up at 6am, watching the news for breaking stories or anything happening in Sheffield and then going in for 8.30am so as to discuss relevant stories with the group. Then present them at the 9am 'news meeting' where Katie, Matt and Julia Lockwood (a reporter/journalist from Calendar,the local Yorkshire news), came to assess our newsday and to help us out along the way of course. The briefing was part of the assessment so we had to throw loads of news stories in there, which I think some of us did just to get a few extra marks :p can't say I blame people, hehe.

So me and Jack went to film some homeless people at the EIS. (English Institute of Sport), but it turned out there was no actual sports happening at these workshops. Only discussions and as beforehand we were waiting on permission from the EIS for us to film there/get an interview, we decided to write the cue/script for a story about a guy who was killed, driving the wrong way down the M1. Later we shot some clips of traffic too.

So we went to St Anne's Hostel in Woodhouse and filmed some homeless people playing football instead. That was cool, we had an interview clip of the homeless football team all together talking about why they enjoyed it (which Julia later commented on as being quite unusual but worked well for a news bulletin) and we were like go 'ed :p get those points in there for us babeh :D hehehe.

It was stressful though trying to get all the right shots. As camerawoman I felt a little bit daunted by how many shots I had to get. But we got some decent ones I think, from different angles, including down below shots of people scoring goals, missing them, etc. Higher ones, mid-pitch angles, etc. Which were interesting.

I did kind of wonder a few times through the day, why anybody would want to be a broadcast journalist...and I later learnt the Calendar news lady who came in to assess/help out on the day, regularly says she thinks she's going to have a heart attack every day on the job. I mean, is that worth it?! I don't think so. Although you do get paid more than in print, I'm not sure I could handle the stress levels and would yearn for a 9-5 job. Journalism is very much for those who are dedicated and like to work to deadlines I think.

We were back in the newsroom (after ages stuck in traffic jams) for around 2pm'ish. Then we got stuck into editing our piece. Jack did most of the editing whilst I wrote the cue and script (because I'm good at writing and didn't want to muck anything up technically). Also because I can't remember how to edit that well it would take me a lot longer. If only I'd of been allowed a practice edit the day before, that would've been great. Nevermind though, we got on with it.

The afternoon was very stressful from this point onwards and I literally was dreading the minutes because time was going too fast, in my opinion!!

After a lot of stress, asking for help from Matt and doing the voiceover, we finally got it all polished off (as polished as we could get anyway) and sent off to be put in the finished TV news bulletin which went out at 4.30pm.

I managed to sort out/help out by doing the pictures for the recording of the sports bulletin. We put all that together and I just clicked 'play' and it seemed to work. So I did that part at least.

We went 'on air' at 4.30pm exactly and by 4.45 we were watching it all through together and analysing our performance. I personally think we got a lot of news in and covered a lot of different stories which was good and we ended on a nice piece about Christmas lights at the children's hospital, or something like that. So that was nice.

I'm really pleased with the way our package turned out and some of the filming was particularly good. Although, the whole news bulletin was not polished at all. It was very good and it had a lot of positives but it fell back in many places, perhaps because we had set ourselves very high expectations and when they fell down...it let some of the pieces down (one group struggled with the editing because they'd been really busy all day doing various filming in various places). But nevermind it's a learning curve and I'd be surprised if we got any less than a 2.1 for our efforts.

It's weird to think broadcast is over now. I'm glad it is though, means I can focus on other things like my patch stories and I can start laying them out etc, writing up my Stiletto article and also, start revising for Free Speech and Censorship. Yep.

Today was worth 60% of the module, so I better do well is all I can say :D hehe.

Right, I'm gonna go to sleep. Another busy day tomorrow (can't wait for the weekend!) :D

Monday, December 03, 2007

Had a whole weekend of work. Not only have I managed to write up four of my patch stories, I also have wrote up the notes into longhand for my feature piece on 'Killer Cola', which makes me feel somewhat better knowing I have at least some work to show Foster next week. Also, I've been buying The Star pretty much every day and finding out various bits of info about Walkley which I never even knew about.

Turns out there is a methodist church that is going to be demolished to make way for several houses (could be quite a big story if we get the locals reaction, me thinks) and a councillor who stands for Walkley who has turned 70 and along with three other councillors has served over 100 years worth of public service. So there's something worth writing about right there.

But yeah, this weekend has been really boring. Only solaced by the fact that it's December now, so it's advent and therefore it's time to start opening those calendar doors and eating miniature chocolate things! :D which is awesome.

Looks like I have my story ready to be filmed for my TV newsday on Wednesday. The English Institute of Sport is putting on a sporting event for homeless people in Sheffield on December 5th, so me and Jack are gonna go down there and film some homeless people playing judo! hahaha. Thankfully we can drive down there and get it sorted, we went there the other day and they seemed really helpful and seemed to want to give us permission. Which is all gravy. Tomorrow I'm expecting a call or to hear back at some point from the events organiser to see if we can definitely have permission, etc.

I hope all goes to plan :) Then all I have to start doing is revising my editing/OOVS/Upsounds/Packages and script editing for the big day itself.

Friday, November 30, 2007

I'm soo sick of having to show people around the house. Now don't get me wrong I understand the reasoning behind having to do so, for example, these people need a place to stay next year after all. But the thing is, the sheer volume of people coming around! It's getting a tad annoying. I've missed a few showings due to being out and having locked my door, they've then wanted to come back around just to see my room as they needed to see ALL of the rooms. But the thing is, I never got to see all of the rooms when I went looking for a house. So what's the big deal, eh? I'm not sure. Maybe they just like to know the full score. I remember when we asked if we could go around and see the house in first year, the girls said no though- as they were determined to spend the last few weeks together in the house. Which I can completely understand now. Not that I want to sound mean or anything, but you do get quite attached.

Anyway. The good news is that I have finished much of Foster's workshop exercises, so all I pretty much need to do now is start writing up my patch stories which I want to do and get out of the way this weekend (including my feature story), so I know exactly what I have to work with. &then, I'm going to start getting even more (no doubt I will need them) and amongst other things, start writing them up and laying them out. It will be quite a big task actually, now I think about it. I think the main worry I have is not being able to get enough! as there will be loads of things needed to fill up all of those pages.

First things first though, I'm going to write a list of all the stories I do have and then start writing up the notes and working out their worth in terms of whether they're going to be a big story, picture story or just worth a couple of nibs. Either way, will have to start filling those pages soon! So best get down to it. I think I might from tomorrow.

I can't tonight as I'm going to be researching for my Stiletto article I'm writing for the second (Sex) issue on 'Do girls enjoy sex more than men?' which is about how girls have recently broke taboos about how they didn't talk about sex/didn't enjoy sex and now it seems that all girls talk about is guys and how many they've slept with.

Cosmo proudly showcases this image of a girl who likes sex as being adventurous, not sleazy or slutty. Sex and the City is another thing that springs to mind. I mean, people found that show refreshing and I know it really shocked some guys because some men believe it or not, think of women as naive and fragile creatures. Which clearly isn't the case a lot of the time (or is it?) hmmm. As Sex and the City (or so I have been told), had women openly discussing sex with each other, over lunch.

Anyhow,I can't believe how fast this week has gone already. I went home last weekend for my Dad's birthday and already- it's Thursday! Doesn't seem five seconds ago I was coming home this time last week. Oh how time flies. I mean in three weeks time I will be finishing for Christmas! Aaaarrggh. How scary is that?! Answer: Very. I have to write my dissertation proposal over Christmas, as well as revise for a 3 hour exam in Free Speech and Censorship, get all my newspaper pages produced in Quark and along with that, keep up with the news/current affairs so that I can at least (try) to pass the news writing exam in January. Oh the heavens! So much work.

Today I had a seminar about postmodernism. That was pretty err...mindnumbing. Although I think I learnt a lot, I will have to go through the lecture notes a lot during revision to feel like I've actually got anywhere with it. I guess we'll see.

I'm listening to the new Darren Hayes album at present. I can't help but hear some Kate Bush influences in parts. It's cool! &a lot of the songs are definitely growing on me if I didn't like them so much before.

Anyhoo, I best be off. I've got a sutaki pie in the oven that needs my attention ;)

Friday, November 23, 2007

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

All I did today was work, work work on my editing for my radio package. Yes, my piece on 'The Respect Scheme' is done. I hope it'll be ok. I mean, I think it's about...98% done, if I have to be figurative. The thing is, I can get it put onto cd by tomorrow so hopefully with any luck, will be able to make a copy somehow and who knows, maybe put it up on here or the like. Maybe. Failing that, it will always be backed up on here at least. The deadline is for Friday, but since I'm going home on Thursday (probably highly likely), I thought it best to get the JNL314 Radio Package out of the way, as soon as possible. As for the JNL315 essay, I made sure to submit that in today, so thankfully that;s all over and done with! Woohoo.

I know that on Wednesday, Stiletto is coming out :) which is a bit exciting. I'm hoping to take a pic of it or scan it in to show what it's like. Apparently it looks absolutely amazing according to Holly. I sure hope so, I can't wait to get my hand on it.

This weekend I'm going home as I have a birthday meal to attend to :) My Dad is turning 60, so he's having a meal out at an Indian restaurant in Widnes. I can't wait to see him again, I miss both my parents so much as I haven't seen them in about- half a month!:(

I will get to see Gary again too, yayyyy which will obviously make my life.

Today has been tiring, I've been up all day. But tomorrow is another day, in which I can experiment with my radio project and hopefully get it finished off for good.

Monday, November 19, 2007

I am going to see.... MY BLOODY VALENTINE.

I've got tickets, to see them!!! It was a bit of a task and a half I must say (like the fact that thousands of people were probably trying to get tickets at the same time as I was). The fact that the first night sold out within five minutes of going on sale, is something to say the least... But I did it and I've got them, so me and Gary are going to be seeing them at the Manchester Apollo next June- which is a perfect leaving Uni present, in my opinion :)

I've had such an amazing weekend. Aside from getting MBV tickets, I spent it with Gary and we went to Corp on the Thursday night to see Jesu and we were gonna see Mono but due to tiredness/seeing them before we decided to get the vinyl version of 'Conqueror' signed by Broadrick and then we retied to the house. We seemed to indulge on a lot of cheesy chips over the weekend, which was nice. Lots of takeaway (pizza, chips, etc), Subway, Vegebangers :p (all yummy of course). We watched 'The Stand' (the TV mini-series) which by the way, is bloody ace and makes me wanna read the book now, lots and lots.

We went Corp on Friday night which was good fun. But the vodka drink/s were disgusting and the beer wasn't too much better to be honest (not entirely sure why but it just tasted really rank, in my opinion), but I started to have a good night after a while as the music played/I progressively let myself enjoy the night.

Yesterday and for much of Friday, was spent shopping around the city centre. I bought some cool stuff for people for Christmas. Lots of interesting things for my boyfriend and I'm going to be getting a lot of good stuff for my family/friends :) I got quite a few books and I know I got a lot in return (obviously not to be looked at until Christmas day).

Speaking of Christmas- it's only another 36 days?! Which isn't long now really. Oohh I'm so excited.

Shame I have to do a whole week's worth of editing for my radio package, starting from tomorrow. I need to get it done by Friday! eeep. At least my essay is done. The deadline for that is tomorrow, but yay that's done at least.

At least once that's all done, I will get to see my family again at the weekend. It's my Dad's birthday coming up too, so I need to really get back home for that. It's a very special age shall we say, coming up.

Anyhow, I need to write up/sort out some of my radio script so it makes it easier to record tomorrow...

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

I hate my degree. Soo much work at the moment, hardly a chance to update/enjoy life!!

I'm trying to think of anything new in my life...there isn't really anything I can think of straight off. Except that I had a busy day yesterday. I attended two inquests! Which wasn't exactly pleasant. Besides the fact I feel like I have no right to be there sometimes, it is upsetting/most horribilus. Hmm what else? I kept napping a lot yesterday afternoon when I got back, I'm not sure why, but I kept on falling asleep and then waking up again, only to fall back asleep...it was really strange. I must've been super tired.

The only thing that's keeping me going, is the thought that on Thursday I will see my love again. It hurts to be apart and it sucks with all this work :( but we're gonna have a lovely weekend I just know it. We're seeing Jesu and Mono on the Thursday night and then once more on Saturday, in Leeds! :D it should be awesome.

At least I've finished my essay so I don't have to worry about that. I finished very late Sunday night/early hours of Monday. It seems ok, but I want to double check and go over it so I know everything is alright and so forth. Tomorrow I get the whole day off, so I should be able to do it then I believe. Along with a lot of other things (really need to do some exercise v. v. soon). But I won't dwell on that. There are more important things to sort out after all (Foster's work from his workshops needs to be done, as do a lot of notes - from last week's feature piece I'm gonna write on Killer Coke, to numerous nibs I can create from what I've been given) hmmm.

I have a broadcast workshop in an hour. I have soo much stuff to do for that still. I've got most of my material and wrote most of my radio script, but it's the interview I still have to get this Friday from a police officer and the whole editing process I will have to do the week after before it's handed in and finished for the 23rd (next Friday). I reckon that'll take most of the week, in all fairness.I also need to be thinking about sounds I can have in the background...I was thinking of maybe using The Bill theme tune, but I'm worried that's gonna look kinda cheesy...hmm, I will have to have a good think.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

I'm feeling mellow now, after a hard day of work :( I managed to get all my vox pops recorded in the afternoon because I figured I needed to get them out of the way, so all I have to worry about now is a)interviewing the police officer next week and b) editing it all the following week.

I feel somewhat better knowing it's the weekend now and I can just chill out and not feel so bad about relaxing for a bit tonight, as I've worked so hard all week.

The main news of the week, has been that my union is closed until Monday because there was a massive power cut at the Yorkshire Electricity Distribution Limited sub-station on Victoria Street last night. So nothing can happen until they get everything sorted out and fixed for good. Which means I will be staying in the house all weekend then, just to do my essay and not get distracted by the promise of Christmas shopping in town or at Meadowhall. I know if I went to the latter especially, I would end up spending loads! I can't see myself going there for a while though, at least until early December as I have something planned every weekend now until the end of November pretty much.

Yesterday was so utterly horrible though! I got caught in a hurricane and completely soaked through, upon travelling from a lecture about my dissertation to another about headline writing. Then I had to do a presentation along with two of my coursemates. I did mine on Liberalism which I think went well, but, afterwards the lecturer said he thought what I had mentioned on Hobbes was a bit dodgy :/ which I thought is fair enough, but since the chapter was so hard to read about, it was hard to separate it out into easy to read pieces.

Then I witnessed the power cut in the IC/Arts Tower and throughout the rest of the Union. I was attending a People and Planet meeting on 'Killer Cola' which is about how Coca-Cola is exploiting the communities in India by creating bottling plants there and then taking their water and leaving it all polluted. It was really interesting, but really hit it home I guess. I thought I'd report on it for a feature story I have to write as part of JNL 301 (Foster's module)as one of my news production piece/s.

Today I managed to get my vox pops done. Whether they are of any worth or not I'm not sure, as some people just said 'Yeah I think it's safe' and that was all...:/ I had to keep looking at them in the hope they'd give me more material to work with. &some of them did, thank goodness. I managed to speak to a PCO, but the vast majority of people I tried to talk to flat out rejected me, which was a bit deflating in all honesty. For some reason it actually upset me, so I decided to call it a day. I put them all onto the computer afterwards and some didn't turn out, but the ones that did do sound good. I guess if I ever need anymore, I should just go back out and get some. But to be honest, I think it all went ok. We'll see I guess.

I've bought a butternut squash! never used one of those before, haha. I'm not entirely sure what I have to do with it either, I'm guessing just peel it and bake it? I bought some other stuff like miso soup, thai curry paste and chillis and sweet potatoes, as well as a mango. I've been really worried of late that my diet isn't good enough, as even though I'm getting loads of fruit and vegetables, it's just the fact that I've been getting really tired and my nails have been snapping where the skin begins, which is er- painful to say the least. My left pinky feels so sore! So maybe a few additional vitamins to the diet is what's needed...

Anyway it looks like I'm in for a boring weekend. All of my housemates are going home again this weekend and I really need to work on and finish my essay, as this is the only time I can really do it in before the deadline is due. I would say oh leave it until next week, but there's so much to be done on it and plus, Gary is coming up next Thursday, so I want to have the weekend free to be able to spend it all with him :]hehe.

Right, I'm just going to have a laid back evening. Chilling/listening to music/may do a little work. Nothing too strenuous as I have a heady-ache :(

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

I've had a nice weekend. I came home to Widnes as I didn't want to be stuck on my own in Shef all on my own :( (everyone had gone home for the weekend in the house) so thought it best for my mind and sanity that I follow suit. I did want to work on my essay, but I thought it best that I get away again as I find it difficult to focus sometimes when I feel down.

Now I have to get down to my work however, which seems to be harder said than done, all in all. I mean, I've arranged for my second radio interview next Friday (16th) which some might say is cutting it fine with the deadline being the week after, but it still will give me a whole week to edit my radio package and since I've started working on my radio cue and script today, I don't feel so bad :)

My loan is not in great condition however. Well, since £700 worth of rent came out on November 1st it has been pretty scary to think about especially with Christmas still around the corner...but I know that there's only around...six weeks before I break up I can manage ok. Although once I start buying Christmas presents, my funds will go down substantially, so might have to start transferring over which I don't want to do :( but, there you go. If it's hard times calling for desperate measures, I guess I will have no choice.

I'm just hoping that by the end of this degree, I'll be able to pay it all off/back to people I owe it to. From the sounds of it I may not fare so bad. Foster was saying of how one of the most successful graduates is now a merchant banker?! which when you think of the transferrable skills you can get from a journalism degree, is slightly...interesting :p but there you go then. Maybe things won't be so bad after all. Obviously I will have to work hard to get anywhere near a good grade (2.1,2.1,2.1) sure it's average but it's very very decent indeed. It's practically impossible to get a first anyway and looks a bit sad to potential employers who are probably thinking you had no social life to get such a good mark.

Anyway it's bonfire night and I'm doing nothing but work which is a bit sad, but I'll be ok. I have my music to listen to and I'm getting things done, so it's alright. Even though I was supposed to be going Corp tonight, it didn't happen. But I'm going there next Thursday (15th) to see Jesu and Mono and Gary is coming up too, so that's something for me to get excited about :)

Friday, November 02, 2007

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Oh Mill, Mill Mill...whatever shall we do with you?

I have around 90 pages of reading to do on Libertarianism for a presentation I am partaking in next week and I just haven't got a clue. That could be something to do with only just starting the reading though. I guess there is always tomorrow...

I've just come back up to Sheffield from a weekend at home. I had an AMAZING time with my lovely boyfriend Gary. We did lots of things together, like shopping and searching for presents and generally being the best. He bought me 'Tomb Raider Anniversary' for my PSP which made me feel chuffed as I wasn't expecting that at all. Which just goes to show how kind hearted and loving a boyfriend I have,he just knew :) I will have to make it up to him x1000000000000000000000000000000 trillion.

The good news is that 'Stiletto' is coming together and should be ready for publication by mid-November which is super exciting. I hope I'll be able to scan an issue in or hopefully at least show you the website. I'm sure I'll be able to take a picture of the front cover at least.

Exciting times ahead. Apart from essays/arranging interviews for radio packages,the neverending stream of stories to collect for 301...

Friday, October 26, 2007

Last night I went to see, what is in my opinion, a most brilliant film.

STARDUST is just such a beautiful film. Sure it's cheesy, it's a fantasy and heck, it might even be a little predictable in parts...but it sure is good. My favourite bit has to be where Robert De Niro (who plays Captain Shakespeare, the leader of this rough group of pirates on a flying ship) turns out to be a 'whoopsy' haha..and he lets go of his pretense and starts dancing around his quarters with a pink fan and ballroom dress! haha. It made my day. Hell, it made the movie.

Michelle Pfeiffer as Lamia, an evil witch obsessed with her looks was also brilliant, in my opinion. The chase for the star (played by Clare Danes) captures everyone's hearts. She is at once sought after by Lamia, Tristan (to give to his unrequited love to Victoria (played by Sienna Miller) and also a string of princes who wish to inherit their father's throne and be crowned King. . &yeah it's just a brilliant film. Go seee!

But today has really drained me of the will to live. My course is slowly killing me. Not only do I find the workload so much harder this year, but the people on my course are really beginning to piss me off as well. I'm not sure why, but they're all so...up themselves. Urk. They just don't know when to stop being twats.

So many ignorant, chauvinistic, bitchy people....making me wanna throw up. That and I've been really tired, has made me fed up.

Also, I found out that my NCTJ's are gonna be worth nothing at all unless we get the shorthand qualification (thank God I've got mine!) but now we have to do an NCTJ in News Writing, which comprises one part of the exam and in the other, we have to compile a portfolio of the 10 best news stories we have written over the period of our course and from work placements, to be marked by journalism staff here and later we can show it to potential employers, which I'm guessing will be looked upon highly when we come to getting a job. I hope. Heh.

Thank god for JNL301 is all I can say...I reckon some of my best stories will come from Foster's module. I can't see too many of the others being great. Maybe court reports...I can't think of much else I'd put in though. I'm sure by the end of the course there will be more examples though, that will look decent. Hmm. The only downside to all of this is that we have to pay £37 for the folder and another £37 for the actual exam. Once again - it is extortion to the highest limits and Foster said we should complain.Maybe, but it won't do us any good as we're leaving next year, but it will benefit other years I guess. *Sigh* I dunno. Work work work...

Monday, October 22, 2007

At last! The internet is back and working at the house. Or at least- it has been for a few days now. But I thought I'd update so as to let you know I'm not dead!

The past few days have been inextricably busy. I've been all over the place trying to edit articles for Stiletto and with my degree- workshops, lectures, I even went to a UV festival yesterday to try and get a story for JNL301 (me and my friend have been assigned Walkley) and to be fair...the area's pretty dead. But we can also cover Upperthorpe and all the way up to Hillsborough, which I think is pretty decent of Foster to extend our area like that.

But it's still a cause for concern! If we fail that module we can't graduate...oh the joy. Other than that, I've arranged an interview for my radio package (I have to get a minimum of two and a vox pop), so I'm going to interview this lady from the Batemoor and Jordanthorpe Safety Forum on Wednesday. I'm doing my radio piece on crime, so that makes sense. I get to use a marantz- I've never used one of those before, so that should be fun :) haha. We'll see how it goes I guess.

I've been trying to do my essay, but I just have so many damn things to do it's hard to think. Not only have I got to do work for Foster (including showing him last week's work now), I have to sub-edit these pieces of copy we got given in the workshop on Friday...and urgh. It's a bit depressing really. *Sigh* I'll cope!!

I went out to Corp last night. I almost didn't go as I was being lead to believe the people I was going with had backed out...but then they tell me about 11pm and I had to rush to get there then! Arrrggh. So I ended up getting a taxi down there on my own and meeting up with them(completely by surprise) just outside of a cash machine. I got into Corp, just before midnight and stayed until the end. It was a good night out, I danced and got drunk and just generally listened to some ace music. They played Tool :D and whilst I mainly stayed in the metal room, I did flick between the ebm room and the 80's cock rock room briefly which is always packed out. I enjoyed a bit of each. I might start going on a Saturday more often as I think it's a pretty decent night actually. Just it's rather expensive (£5 to get in) and not many people I know would go. But, if you just drink Carling out of a bottle all night it's actually pretty cheap (£1.50 isn't bad). Hmm.

Anyway, I didn't get to sleep until 5.30am and I didn't wake up until gone 11am this morning! eeeep. So I just chilled out in bed, edited some more articles (they're all done now, apart from some 'freshers articles' I'm waiting on to come through soon), which no one seems to be sending me! grrr. I read a chapter from the reader on Stamp Duty and the press and that's about it to be honest. I wrote up some notes too and tried to write some kind of notes/script for my radio project, but only the bones of the questions I need to ask on Wednesday.

Right, I best get off now. It's late and I should be asleep. I've got to get up early tomorrow and try to call this councillor to get a phone interview. As well as that, I need to cancel/question an order I made last night, I'm worried it won't transfer or will bill me. Something stupid like that. Anyway, I best get off.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Today has been just another average day. I've done what feels like tonnes of reading over the past couple of days, enough for my liking anyhow.

I'm having to start my essay already because I've got so much work and a lot of deadlines coming up, so I can't afford to waste my time really. But, I still find time to come online and go on facebook and so forth. Anything to procrastinate I guess :]

I went to see 'This is England' yesterday at the union's cinema. It was really good, a highly thought provoking film and I recommend watching it for anyone who hasn't seen it. It's about a young boy in the 80's who after losing his dad in the Falklands war, befriends a skinhead with racist views...and he brainwashes him into their gang basically. It was great watching, comic, sad, and overall very moving. A mandatory film if ever there was one.

So, we received a letter at the house yesterday from Tiscali, announcing that they had received our direct debit and our order for the 'net should be processed pretty soon. I hope so for all our sakes! With the postal strikes, give or take a few days, it should be here by Thursday of next week. Which I can only hope and pray for as we've been waiting long enough in my opinion...and I hate having to go to the IC every day just to use a computer, surrounded by loads of people who could be prying in on what I'm doing. Arrrgh. The thought is scary.

Hmm, what else. I've been very experimental with red lentils lately...I made a red lentil salad with philly in pittas for my lunch today, it was awesome. &I should have enough left over for tomorrow, which I'm pleased about, as my culinary skills are not going to waste :] hehehe.

But anyway, back to my essay as there's quite a lot I can say about that. Whilst I haven't started it yet, I have done most of the reading and am therefore both fascinated and appalled by my topic of choice. I've decided to write about 'Does pornography harm women?' and my research has led me down many dark tunnels...and to be honest, I'm not sure I like what I'm finding. I've read about Linda Lovelace, Angel Kelly and other girls and young women who were products of violent sexual abuse and to be honest what at first seems acceptable in some contexts, i.e- that it's their freedom of speech to allow porn to be made and distributed, when it comes down to it, you realise is nothing more than glorified violence in the form of sexual desire. It's a really awful topic actually and quite upsetting, for me, as a young woman to read.

But still I chose to do it,so I can't complain too much. *Sigh*. Again...I am writing this when it is dark and I need to get back to the house. Maybe I'll write a little more in my next update.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Ok, so as promised here are what I think of the films I saw on Sunday.

CONTROL(15)

I saw this at FACT and was majorly impressed. I think any film that can take a biography like this and turn it into something so believable and so...real that you almost believe it is happening, is worth more than a watch in my opinion.Control is a film about the life and music of Joy Division and its troubled singer, Ian Curtis who killed himself over 27 years ago. The film charts their beginnings, from the humble naivety of Curtis, who married his wife Deborah too young, to the bands' tours around Europe and his subsequent double life and affair with Annik Honoré. The film is captivating and ultimately very dramatic. Infact, it's so realistic, I almost believed it was happening in present tense. From reading 'Touching from a Distance', I already knew a great deal about Curtis's life and the music and story behind Joy Division, but to see it played out in front of my eyes was something else entirely. A real treat and the must-see movie of the year, in my opinion.

HALLOWEEN

No words can suffice for just how bad this film is. But I will say this...the glaring inaccuracies, the awful clichés, the fact every male character seemed to have long hair, and the blatant killing of all and sundry made this film so predictable, it was boring. This remake has ruined my image of the original Halloween and Rob Zombie (it's director) really shouldn't have touched such a classic. I left the cinema feeling let down and I'm not sure I can forgive Zombie for exploiting and bastardising it to the point, where it has now become nothing more than a mockery of itself. Very disappointing. Why Carpenter gave him permission to mess with such a classic, I will never know. But there were enough Zombie stereotypes in there to make you know it was now his. Urgh.

Anyway I needed to vent that.

Now back to my life...

I'm back at Uni now, so I should be here for a good few weeks because of my heavy workloads and the fact I want to try and get it all out of the way as soon as possible. I'm not sure if I can, but I'm gonna try. I had my first workshop of the week earlier for broadcast and I think I did ok. The tutor said that my idea (I had to write up a 600 word proposal at the last minute, yesterday evening), was fine and that I should be able to get an interview with a victim of crime somewhere in Sheffield and ask them whether the Respect scheme is actually doing it's job properly or whether it's just complicating matters further. So I'm going to try and sort that out sometime this week. Other than that, I've just come straight here (in the IC again), to use the internet because I don't think the 'net at the house is working just yet. But soon....soon...

Right, that's it for this post I'm afraid. I need to walk back to the house and it's pitch black already, so want to walk back while there is still people around, rather than later on, when I'll be more scared of my surroundings.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Sorry I haven't updated this in a week now, but I've been pretty busy of late.

Main news: Last week was pretty shitty overall, as I was stressed and had to do a great deal of sorting out. We still have no internet at my house in Sheffield. So on Thursday I decided to take it upon myself to call Tiscali up and I ordered broadband for us, which should be here by next week I imagine. But what a nightmare! I had to keep on repeating myself because the Indian callworker couldn't seem to differentiate between 'a' and 'r'. But with any luck, the 'net will be all ours soon enough and we won't have to keep goin to the IC to check on our emails and all that bother.

Similarly, I found out on Thursday afternoon when I went to try and buy a reader for £15 (a collection of essential 'reading sources' that my lecturer/module leader for JNL315 -Free Speech and Censorship), wants us to buy so we can at least try and scrape a pass (we still will need to do other reading as well...*groan*). So I decided to try and get cash out of the machine- but to my horror, every bank wouldn't let me get any out. So in the end I had to go all the way to Alliance and Leicester in town, where I was told that my debit card is unauthorised and therefore invalid. They sent me out another one though, thankfully- so the next day once I had arrived home in Widnes, I made sure to activate it and then I could use it from there on in. Thankfully.

But the main news of my weekend is that I passed my driving test on Saturday- and I can now drive :D YAY. Which is an achievement as I've been trying for a while now. So I'm really proud that I managed it and can just go back to Uni now and relax for it IS DONE. Hehehe. So I passed second time, with 10 minors. Which to be honest, I thought I would get more, since the route is Runcorn and I'm not that great around there. But it doesn't matter, it's over with now. Woohoo.

I was going to tell you of how I went to the cinema yesterday and all about the films I saw 'Control' (amazing) and 'Halloween' (shite) but I've just found out I need to do a 600 word proposal that's in for tomorrow afternoon! Argh. So I'll tell you about them in my next update.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

I have some good news.

I passed my NCTJ resit in local government! Wa-hey! Woo. I'm rather pleased now as I was pretty worried I wasn't gonna make it. But I did, yay. So now I have got all my NCTJ's under my belt! Yay yay yay.

Monday, October 01, 2007

I'm sat here writing an article about why girls get so offended by the word 'cunt'. Lovely :p it should be pretty interesting and I'll have loads to write for it, having already written nearly a page on the subject. Oh how productive I am at times.

Especially for a Sunday. I'm being unusually productive on what I normally deem as my day off. Hahaha.

My research mainly is to do with the history of the word and how it can affect people in different ways. I'm doing something on the way it is interpreted, how people react to it and I'm going to be using sources like Atonement (might have to watch it at some point no doubt...), The Vagina Monologues and I'm going to go and interview Julia of Gash, (the sex shop owner). So it should be rather insightful.

Last night I went to Pop Tarts. I had a good night out, but I just wish that I knew where I was going! They've completely revamped the union downstairs- so Fusion and Foundry is all crazily different. They've put a wall where there used to be a corridor and cordoned off another entrance, so you can't go so easily between the 60's and 70's room and the other 80's and 90's one. That bit is a tad confusing. Erm, what else? Well, they decided to make the fusion? I think it is, a bit bigger and now it feels a lot like the main room. So I suppose in that sense and in the respect of saving space, it has many advantages.

Today has been irrevocably dull, I won't lie. But I have made some progress in the respect of my story I'm working on. Also, I've sorted some stuff out with my bank.

I'm going back to my house in a bit, I'm going to make a wonderful roast dinner :) the likes of which you'll never taste anything so good. Vegebangers, broccolli and cauliflower, roast potatoes and veggie gravy. Yum yum.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Well the stall at the Freshers' Activities fair went really well! I'm pleased to say. We got more people signed up to Stiletto than the whole of the Steel Press (the major student newspaper at Shef Uni) which I find somewhat incredible!! haha. We must've drawn people in with all our sweets, delicious stiletto shaped cookies - which the girl who made them said turned into blobs when she put them in the oven :) but we didn't mind as they tasted great. Not to mention that we had little fairy cakes which were ace as well. Plus we had THE most amazing sign ever! One of the girls' has a boyfriend who works in a sign shop, so he made us a 'Stiletto' sign with a massive shoe on it, completely in pink and purple and it looked AMAZING. I seriously wanted to take it home and put in my bedroom!

We had loads of girls sign up obviously, since we are a women's magazine, but we did get a few guys interested too. So that's good. We're gonna have our first meeting next Thursday so hopefully by then everyone will have ideas for stories and we'll hand out stories and then I can do my job in the weeks that follow. I'm looking forward to it now :) I heard the other day as well, that all the girls who were editors of Stiletto have gone into jobs which is another reason why I think being a deputy editor will definitely be good for my CV! :)

Sooo excited right now.

Anyway I've got to be off, I have to go and watch 'Little Miss Sunshine' at the union.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

I am writing this from within the confines of the IC. I am now back at Uni and have been since Monday. I've sorted out my entire room from the moment I got back, I rearranged everything leaving no stone unturned. My wardrobe and all my cupboards and drawers have been rearranged into 1) bra drawer, 2) knicker drawer, 3) sock drawer 4) toiletries drawer and so forth and so on. Everything looks so much neater as a result.

Yesterday I decided to do my food shopping. I think in total it came to about £20, maybe a little more. Which isn't bad. That was from just buying loads of fruit and vegetables. Soy milk, hummus, pitta breads, kidney beans, herbs and spices, chopped tomatoes, that kind of thing.

I felt pretty stumped about what to make for dinner, so in the end I decided upon a vegetable and bean chilli. It's worked beautifully and I made enough for tonight, so can just tuck into that once I get back home :) yay.

In other news...the first meeting amongst the editors of Stiletto took place yesterday. The good news is we've pretty much sorted out all our ideas for the first issue. We've arranged for our first meeting with the writers next Thursday and a social to follow, on October 8th. So should be fun :) oh and also, tomorrow I'm helping out at the fresher's fair- Stiletto have got a stall and we're gonna set up early. I'm not helping out until the afternoon, but it should be amazing!!

We're having cupcakes and sweets to give out to the freshers and all around! and we're decorating the stall in pink, blowing up copies of past issues of the magazine and turning them into posters which can be hung up all over the place. It should be pretty cool ^-^ So I'm looking forward to to it immensely. Not only that but we're having a pink paper background and a pink fur trim all around the table. So it will look pretty sassy.

I can't wait! It'll also be really cool once the magazine gets up and running too and I then have the task of sub-editing the whole thing! Which is pretty daunting, but I'm sure will turn out fine.

We have no internet at the house at the moment, mainly because we're switching servers and moving to Tiscali from talktalk. Understandably, talktalk have messed us around a lot and I don't think we should stay with them anymore if the internet just keeps going! It's pretty unfortunate. But we have to transfer our phone line over too to tiscali as part of the package deal. So that's gonna happen some time this week I believe and then we may get a router sent out to us after that at some point in the unforeseen future!

Ahh but anyway, I'm back. &I'll post again soon when I feel less sleepy :]

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Well I can officially say I am now addicted to the PSP. Whether that's a good or a bad thing I don't know as my final year of Uni will need a lot of work and attention for me to come out with a good grade by the end of it and such things will not help me to knuckle down and study :p but I see it as a welcome distraction, personally.

So, this is my final week at home before I go back to Uni. I never realised until the other week that Freshers' Week started on the 24th, not the 17th like I had previously thought. So that extra week off is very welcome indeed. But I'm sure it will make it harder to settle back in. But at least this is my final year now so I know what to expect, not like over the past two years when I was being shifted back and forth, to halls in first year and to a house for second year. At least there'll be some stability now, which I'm counting my blessings for.

When I get back I have to attend the first Stiletto meeting of the year however, which will involve recuriting new writers to the magazine for the year and sorting out other priorities like getting a stall set up for the freshers fair so that people can come and join if they so wish. I think that'll be pretty cool, if a little, or a LOT hectic. Haha. But definitely worth it.

Then I'll have to sign up for my relevant JNL301 workshop and make sure everything is in order in the house, which will include making sure we have everything for a comfortable existence - food, hot water (I'm sure we'll have no problem there), a phone line that works and internet access. Not to mention buying tickets for relevant events if I want to attend any Freshers' events that week as they tend to sell like hot hot cakes...

I'm also buying tickets for Mono and Jesu in November at Corp and VNV tickets for me and Gary when they play in December. So there's quite a few tasks to think about.

But back to this week...

I haven't started packing yet but I probably will by tomorrow as my parents are going away for the weekend to visit my brother (it's his 35th birthday on Saturday) even though he'll be working for most of this weekend and they won't get to see him. But I think it's a nice thing to do. Then they're coming back on the Sunday I believe and then I'm going back up on Monday 24th.

So I'm hoping to read more of my book 'Whit' by Iain Banks before I go back, but I doubt it'll get finished by Monday. Nevermind, I guess it's just another thing I'll be taking back with me. At least I'll have plenty to read :)

Friday, September 14, 2007

Yesterday I went to Blackpool with my mate Andy. We had a stroll around the pier, ate some chips and had a gander around the amusement arcades. There were some interesting things to look at, but by in large it was just tack.

We did visit the Gowrie Museum however, although only one floor was open, which showcased memorabilia from Blackpool's by-gone days, obviously, objects from it's hey day when everyone visited Blackpool for their holiday/s. So that was pretty interesting, although it did feel weird looking back on postcards which would have been avant garde back in the day and now make me feel nostalgic with their drained out pastelles and rather old-style humour.

*Sigh* I don't know, maybe I'm just a product of this so-called 'new generation'. I'd love to be more in touch with the past, I feel really intrigued by it, but I love the feel of the new, if that makes any sense. I like the fact that technology has improved, mobile phones, computer games, and so forth. It's opened up whole worlds, that our predecessors could've only dreamt about. So it's only right we should be grateful (unless the robots take over the world, exterminate every last one of us and procreate to replace every single organism with nothing but wiring and metal).

Speaking of technology, I am going to get my hands on a PSP tomorrow :D yay. For those who don't know what that is, it stands for a Playstation Portable, which is basically a handheld console. I'm sooo excited as many of my favourite computer games I used to play on the playstation, back in the day :p Tekken, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Ridge Racer...all the classics plus more. All of course thanks to my wonderful boyfriend Gary, who bought me one on Tuesday off ebay, much to my surprise. I really can't thank him enough as he didn't need to...I was all prepared to start saving the money myself! So I really must thank him for that, I owe him a lot.

Today I've been busy mainly sorting out my bedroom- my parents have had floor pannelling put in their bedroom so that caused a great deal of upheaval. Resulting in clothes being flung on beds everywhere and so forth. How exciting! haha. So my bed is now facing the right hand side of the wall and other things have been rearranged - and I've taken to throwing out loads of my brother's things into plastic bags so he can take them back to his place, so that I can put my clothes and underwear into my drawers. (no pun intended).

Friday, September 07, 2007

Today has been better that I thought. I was up early (7am) and at The Heath for 9am sharp, where I then had to find the relevant department (GB Plange) and was taken up by a lab assistant/tech. My job involved basic admin- answering and transferring phone calls to the relevant people, printing off labels, filing papers and processing orders. It was pretty cool actually. I got to use the same order system (AS400, or something like that) as my Mum uses at Gus, so it provided a bit of a learning curve really.

Oh it turns out, the company/business I am temping for is involved in bread enzyme production. They make and supply to Warburtons and manufacturers like that. Here's their website: Clicky

That was the whole day, from 9-2. It's been by far the most interesting job I've undertook so far (apart from Morrisons obviously), but then working in a salad bar is pretty damn cool.

So yeah, everyone seems really friendly and we're getting on fine. I've been shown all the ropes pretty much and as tomorrow is my final day, it's really not bad work at all. Just a bit of extra pocket money (or only money, at the moment...)

I never knew The Heath Business Park was sooo big though! I completely underestimated it in size. They have a market day there and today, there was a lady selling real pretty jewellery. I managed to get a ring for £3! Which is a an utter bargain. Looky:

My only problem is that I feel soo tired after being up for so long. I just want to have a bottle of wine and unwind over a long conversation with a friend. But I'm going the cinema, hmmm, equally as relaxing I suppose. Only trouble is, in the dark I tend to fall asleep! >.< no matter what, if I'm sleepy and I watch something in the dark, I usually drift off.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

I can't believe it - I have a temp JOB!! At last.I had completely given up and one came to me. Ah haa- the irony! I start tomorrow at the Heath Business Park in Runcorn, doing admin work for a few wee hours, just over Thurs-Fri of this week.

Whether I will get given more work next week remains a mystery, but I guess I will know soon enough. I'm just soo pleased to be earning, and yes I know I am acting rather...like a scrooge with my 'money, money, money' attitude, but once you haven't earned in a good while, you forget what it feels like. So I'm chuffed to say the least. Especially since I'm really starting to get into the whole saving money business in a real big way. Ahh- it's somewhat exciting!

I had to go and find the place this evening though, just to know where I'm going. I'm overly cautious like that. I don't want to be late, it would make a rather bad impression. I have to be up early too, I start at 9am and getting over that bridge of a morning is absolute chaos, especially since it's now September.

I spent today mostly resting and chilling until I got offered that job. Then everything seemed to feel like I was on a roll. Heh. Odd that.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Yay. Today has been a very good day. I passed my theory test this morning! Woohoo!!! So I can now retake my driving test, yayyy. Oh and also, I got my NCTJ Law results back- I PASSED! YAYYYYYY.

Driving Theory- 49/50Hazard Perception - 60/75

...and for my NCTJ's I got 54 on my first exam and 50 on the other. So it was a bare pass, but still- A PASS! I don't have to resit that next year or repay for it, which is excellent news. Especially since I was ill when I took them back at the end of January. Soo I'm fairly relieved to say the least :) and I'm now pumped full of excitement and things- like that! :D so obviously, I wanna go out and get this utter excitement out of my system before I collapse from hyperventilating. Haha.

So yeah, happy happy Anna..

I just wish Gary was well enough to celebrate with me :( that's the only downer.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

I can't believe how fast this summer is going now. It only feels like a few weeks ago that I was finishing for my mammoth summer...and now I only have about two weeks before I return to Uni.

I'm majorly disappointed that I never found a job at all- despite all my trying. So I never really achieved what I wanted to. Nevermind. Soon I'll have a degree under my belt and next year, will be on the look out for a permanent job- a real and potential career. Argh, that sounds kind of scary actually. But, I'll be getting to that point in less than 12 months...wow.

It's all coming around now. School, college, Uni...all seem to have flown by sooo soo fast! I feel like I've had a good summer. It's definitely had a few good points. Some fairly low points too, mainly just me getting my hopes up though. Maybe next time I might try and be more pessimistic about things, at least that way you can never be too disappointed. Feeling let down a lot starts to wear on the spirit after a while. But I guess it's all part of the experience of life.

Latest news from my camp...well, I've been to Liverpool yesterday, for a browse and a spot of shopping with my boyfriend Gary. He bought me a book on Japanese cuisine called 'Taste of Japan', a book on Nostradamus's prophecies and a ring I liked the look of from the shop Internacionale and we ate in a restaurant - at Yates's wine lodge, which was veryyyy lovely, I always have a brilliant time with him :) Other than that, I went to Chester on Friday with my parents. Mainly for shopping...bought an epilator! Which is apparently meant to be the epitome of pain. Indeed.

Oh, I finished reading 'American Psycho' over the weekend. I prefer it to the film (Well doesn't everyone prefer books to their film adaptations?!) It's dark, graphic and disturbing scenes set it apart from other novels and you really do think, 'How far is this going to go?' as it turns out, all the way. As Brett Easton Ellis delves the character of Patrick Bateman into an ever more seedy, deluded and plain psychotic world where hacking off a hooker's head with a chainsaw and arranging her brains into some form of nouveau cuisine seem perfectly natural. Amongst other atrocities. Excellent, excellent novel. Read, read read!!!

I have a bit of a book list actually. So I've got a few novels to read, but again, it's just finding the time, as with everything in life. *Sigh* I'm sure I'll get around to them eventually! Some of them I'm more interested in than others, I think that's my problem. So some get read, others don't. Such is life.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Just an update to keep you informed.

Over the past three days (Tuesday-Thursday) I have been to see the band Tool THREE TIMES on the run. Twice in London at the Brixton Academy and once at the Manchester Apollo. All of course, as part of Gary's birthday present. We had an ace time, staying in a hotel just two minutes away from Victoria station and we got to rediscover some of London's age-old haunts. I especially enjoyed re-visiting Camden Market where I got a pretty green dress covered in butterflies, which we managed to haggle down to £10 from the £15 they wanted to sell it us for. Ooh and we also visited a sushi bar.

Yo!sushi is a pretty interesting place, I'd seen it before last year in passing, but to actually go in there this time and eat lunch was something special. Me and Gary went there on August 22, for his birthday lunch. We found out you can get unlimited miso soup for £1.50, so we got that with vegetable maki, edamame beans, agedashi tofu and then we shared all of this with some vegetable yakisoba. It was a splendid meal and only came to £18. What you do is, you choose the dishes you want and the colour of the dish corresponds with a price. So a green dish would be £1.50, an orange dish would be more expensive and a pink one more expensive than that and so on and so forth.

It was really lovely anyway and a nice experience, away from the traditional fodder.

So...how were TOOL you may ask? Well, having been a novice at the beginning of the week (in terms of never having seen them live), I can see they were beyond BRILLIANT. They kicked off every show with 'Jambi' from the new album 10,000 Days, then they played 'Stinkfist' off the album 'Aenima' and then this is where it might vary, depending on the night they played a number of classics, Lateralus was played on all three nights, but on the second London night, they played 'Rosetta Stoned', 'The Pot' and '10,000 Days', numerous others and then ended that night on Vicarious. But something special happened on the August 22nd gig. Herman Lee from Dragonforce came out and played on the solo to the song 'Lateralus' and made it something quite rare to behold. It was awesome. The only thing that was upsetting about Wednesday night's gig however, was that the fanbase seemed to be a lot more immature. Starting a moshpit in the middle of a Tool gig?! It made no sense. They're not that type of band. They're very visual...they had loads of images at their gigs...on screens, lasers, videos etc. They were just AMAZING, I was pretty awe-struck to say the least. By the end of it, I did feel as though I'd experienced multiple spiritual orgasms!

On the last night I saw them (Thurs 23rd) at the Manchester Apollo, I was soo exhausted. We had travelled all the way up from London to Warrington, on a five hour coach journey...and then we got the train back into Widnes, dropped off our luggage and rested for a while. Then went out again, bought 8 bottles of Carling and got the train to Manchester Oxford Road, then a taxi to the Apollo. I saw Vix outside just as I was queuing up, so I called her and a friend over and we were chatting for a while. It was good to see her again, it's been soo long! Then we met up with Paul and Gray and a few of his mates who were there and we went into the venue with them.At every gig, there was a policy of no bags, chains, alcohol, no cameras or pictures to be taken (I think these are the band's orders though, as they hate pictures being took of them) and anyone who flouted these rules would be ejected. Oh and also no moshing or crowdsurfing was to happen either. But of course, a lot of this did happen and people did smoke in the crowds, given the chance.

The band were amazing that night. They ended on 'Aenima' like they did on the first London night. So it was all good. By the end of the gig, I was exhausted and felt like seven shades of dead had been knocked out of me. It could've had something to do with the effects of alcohol and lack of dinner as well...but, me and Gary persevered on and ended up, completely by chance, meeting up with Jonno and getting a lift home. Went to bed that night feeling like a wreck.

...and woke up feeling even worse!! Arh-hah. The hangover was intense and felt never ending. Not until midday did I start to feel like my normal self. Yesh.

Friday was spent largely relaxing and just chilling out. I sorted my room out a little. Oh and I now have the book I can give to Gary as part of his birthday present (it arrived off Amazon the other day, whilst I was in London). So that will be a-given later on.

I plan to spend today, working out, reading...I'm in dire need of a shower, so that'll have to be done...and then 'm off out around Gary's for about 4'ish and to go the Kray probably later on. If we do decide to go, which we probably will- it will be for the first time all year! (If I recall correctly, I haven't been since just before Christmas?! or maybe slightly after...my memory is a bit hazy now).

I have 'American Psycho' to read soon. Can't wait to get started on that gem.

Hmm and what else? Oh...I sat my first driving test the other week. Unfortunately I failed over a turn in the road! (I'm usually very good at them, but this one was very deceiving and had to be taken in five turns instead of three) and yeah...I hit the kerb. Oops. Other than that, I would've passed as I only got 3 minors, for speeding and going over 30 a bit. So I'm pretty gutted that I didn't pass, but I'm going to try again before I go back. As I'm soo close now. However with Lady Luck not being on my side this year, I now have to resit my theory test as well, since it ran out...on Thursday :( boo. So all of this is pretty unfortunate. &I suspect that there will be a couple of weeks/months waiting list before I can take the driving test again, unless I get a cancellation and can come back of a weekend or something like that.

Anyway, that's all I have to say really. There will be more when I think of it, but I'm in a bit of a rush this morning to do things, so I best leave it at that.

I've wrote a new poem and I'm working on another one, so I'll post them up the next time I write.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

All is back to normal again. Well, fairly normal. I got my phone back :) about two weeks ago. Yay. Turns out Roadkill did have it after all. Hmm what else...the weather has been all over the place and I've been staying in a lot lately.

I haven't been to the pub in a good few weeks now, mainly because of being a wee little busy-body regarding everything in my life.

I have got some new stuff like clothes and an ace pair of boots though, which look very bootiful on (hehe, see what I did there) :p

Still awaiting my NCTJ results, the likes of which I have no idea when they will be sent out. But I'm guessing soon as they can't keep us waiting forever....*sigh* or can they?? I guess I'll have to see. I will keep you posted however.

Monday, July 30, 2007

I'm so gutted. I lost my phone over the weekend, whilst I was out at a bar in Liverpool. Careless it may have been, but at the time I did not even notice. It was literally, one minute I had it, the next it was gone. That easy. The ever so slightly annoying thing about it is that it has all my friends and family's numbers on it, so I'm now having to retrieve them all, in some way or another. I've sent out a mass message on facebook to try and collect them all again- in the hope that next time they won't disappear on me!

I'm with the Orange network now on a cheap as chips Alcatel phone which my boyfriend bought me for £10. I've been looking at their offers however and they sound so much better than anything 02 have ever offered. Cinema tickets, 2 for the price of 1 on 'Orange Wednesdays', unlimited calls,hundreds of free texts a month depending on how much you top up...amongst the many other things.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Just a small post to illuminate you all.

I am back home in Widnes now. My day has been spent overturning all my paperwork under my bed and sorting old files with school work in them. A lot of which have gone now for good- and gladly so as they were starting to clutter up my living space and dare I say it, my mind. Nope...I take it from what new age therapists say...debunking your living space can do wonders for the soul. I feel cleaner already :)

...and today I found that I have a lot of money after all, in my savings account. Unbelievably- well into the triple figures now I come to think of it. Which surprised me- more so my parents.

I helped to go food shopping with my Mum this afternoon and also sorted out my registration form- signed and completed the debit card form and then sealed it with a self-addressed and stamped envelope inside...and sent that off.

I also closed down a little account I'd started ten years ago but left from there on in! haha. It only has £11 in it too, but it'll be worth it once the cheque comes in and I can add that to all of my savings.

Anyway, I don't want to say too much, you never know who might be stalking you in this day and age. Especially when it comes to money matters.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

My mother is stranded in Gloucestershire! Oh the heavens! She went down to visit my brother and my sister in law and their kid for the week...and now she tried to come back, but she got stuck when she had to get off and try to get a bus to get to Birmingham New Street. But all the roads down there are flooded. So now she has to stay in a leisure centre for the night, with loads of other people :( I'm worried- I hope she'll be alright.

Bloody rain- will you ever stop pouring down?! :(

Today has been worrying all round. I was up early, then had to be in for about 8, or 8.15'ish, before I left with Claire the crime correspondent to go and interview the family of those charged with the murder of the taxi driver back in March. I was scared shitless when I got told they were gangsters and they had sent a lot of death threats to the paper when they had found out certain things had been reported on previous occasions. Our job was to go down there and diffuse the situation and try to explain to them that we were only out to print the facts and we wanted to print the defendants' side of the story, although obviously we can't print that until the case is over. So we went down to try and speak to the family...but only the Mother was in and she was saying of how she had to work over 90 hours that week alone because her sons have been in custody...so obviously they can't do their job. It felt grim to stand there and hear her talking when you know you have to try and force being friendly and pretend to have an open mind, when you're not sure either way. Oh the dilemma.

After this little incident of talking to one of the accused's Mum, I went back to the office and then went along to a council meeting about the licensing board who wanted to close a pub down in Burnsgreave for being too dangerous to the public...police found drugs, knives and heard a gun being fired nine times! Eeeep. So that went ahead and was closed down by the end.

& then...back to the office for an hour. Lunch. Then all afternoon until 4pm was spent typing up stories and printing them off so that I can produce a portfolio of stories that I've done here, to show that all of my time hasn't been wasted :) Oh and I did get something printed in the paper- in Thursday's edition actually, which I'm pleased about. I'll scan it in once I get home I think :)

Well ...that's the end of my week at my work placement. I've had a good time here, learning a lot of things about how journalists cope under pressure, how to handle and diffuse numerous difficult situations for example. But most of all I've learnt to find my inner balls. I don't know if I'd want to take on a permanent job at The Star, but I see it as an option as I reckon something like that wouldn't be a bad job really. Not at all terrible once you apply the knowledge and the skill to the practical side of reporting, although I reckon it'd take a while to get really good at the profession. As it is a fast paced job and highly sought after.

I'm coming back to Widnes tomorrow. Excited? Just a little. I've missed everyone there so much. Gary especially, it's been so hard being away from him :( I don't like the fact it's been over a week since I last saw him. But, I take solace in the fact that tomorrow, all will be back to normal again and I can resume my summer knowing that I've put the effort into doing work and improving my career- so I can take something beneficial out of this summer and know it's not been a wasted time. But, I just wish I could've taken Gary with me. Nevermind- I will have lots to tell people when I get back. Not that we haven't already spoke about stuff like that over the phone :) haha.

Anyway, over and out.

I'll update sometime soon. Pray that I don't get caught in the floods tomorrow, as I have to get the train back home and I want to get back safe and on time!

Here's hoping my Mum's alright too.

I do worry so.

xo

P.S: The internet at the house here (Uni house) is finally working! At last!!! (after two months of dodginess).

Friday, July 20, 2007

Urgh. Today has been soo dull!I had a feeling it was going to be when I got into the office and no one came up to me or asked me to do any work with them until about 10am! I went to Crown Court with a reporter called Amy and we went to cover a murder trial. A 14-year-old boy was on trial, (but he didn't appear in court today), for murder and suspected arson. Basically, he set his family home on fire and his brother, aged 15, died in the blaze. Pretty grim stuff to hear about. The boy was breaking down sobbing on the tape interviews and was denying every allegation the police put forward to him, to try and break through his story, which was pretty feeble. We had to listen to that for about an hour. *Sigh*.

I tried to take down as much as possible in shorthand notes. But I was soo tired after this, I just went for some lunch and tried to calm myself/revive myself somewhat.

I went back to the office and tried to write the story up. I think I did a decent enough job on it, once I'd found some background information to flesh it out a little.

I'm going to stop writing now as I feel really exhausted and if I type anymore I might just get frustrated!

Let's just say that today has been a pretty boring day and leave it at that.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Third day done and I'm here to report on how it's been.

By no means as exciting as yesterday by any means, but I did get to cover a court case which was huge- in terms of press coverage, Hallam Fm were there and Look North. It was a murder case, about a taxi driver who was shot in his taxi as he worked, back in March. I remember it being a really big case here and everyone raving on my course about how much they wanted to cover that. Hah, typical journos.

It ate up most of the day- I went once again with the crime correspondent Claire and we were in the court room at Sheffield Magistrates from 10am right through until about 2. By which time, I wanted a well deserved lunch break before my return to the news room. The case itself- because it was so complex and the three guys being charged for the murder had 'conspired', meant that everything was adjourned until next week, when they could come to a better understanding of it all. It was interesting...I'd never been to a murder case before, but it was horrible at the same time. The defence picked a lot of holes in the case and were miles better than the prosecution- who seemed to be making a lot of mistakes, much to the three defendants' chagrin. Haha. I tried to write it up come the afternoon...but I just didn't see it as an amazing case when we can hardly report any of what we were told, thanks to the Magistrates Court Act 1981 and the reporting restrictions which prevent reporters from writing about the evidence in the case, while proceedings are active.

So the afternoon was spent finding out a little news story about a brass band from Dronfield who were going to Switzerland for a tour over the weekend and next week. I had that to write up as a NIB, but I did have to make a couple of phone calls just to make sure everything was accurate. Harder than it seems really...but, you get used to it. It's all about confidence and not being afraid to pick up the receiver and ask questions :]

I left at 5...having become bored of everything in the offices...and came here. I have some good news however. The phone line at the house is now working- woopee! They've lifted the restriction, which is great news. Oh and we also have a new router-modem, which Belkin sent out to us and we received yesterday. We tried to set the thing up...and it semi-works...I mean it worked for the first five minutes perfectly. But then we tried to set a password/make it more secure so no one else could access our network and it didn't seem to like that and from then on in we had problems with it. Meh...we're going to try and fix all of that tonight, as we don't want any ongoing problems. It's not what we need right now!!

...and whilst I had my phone switched off at court today...a lady who I inquired about a temp job with last week, called me up and told me that whilst there was not a position at MDA Works Services that would benefit my requirements since they want someone to stay on longer than September, there is a job going as a receptionist somewhere else and that she would pass on my details for me and let me know about it. Which I'm very grateful for, as the hours and pay she described sound good- and if they only want someone until September- perfect!! I'll apply now. Hehe. So that's my main good news.

I hope everyone is having a good summer whilst I'm slaving away :p

I just have faith in the knowledge that this placement will hopefully benefit me in many ways, career wise.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Second day over and I'm feeling fine.

Today has been a far more varied and eclectic day than the last. For starters, I've had a lot more work to do...but, I got most of it done...bar one or two things. I've got about 4-5 stories written up and placed in the Stars' news system. I have one I need to complete and place in the system tomorrow, but as I say, that can be done again.

The main excitement of today, has been that I got to venture near City Hall and see the X-factor judges go inside the building. They each arrived separately, about ten minutes after one another, in blacked out Rolls Royces. First came Simon Cowell- oh dear lord- he is just like on television but weirder! He comes across as very arrogant- he was smoking the whole time, he was in the car, he got out...and he blew it in the press's faces before moving inside. Then there was Louis Walsh, who seems meek in comparison...and Danni Minogue...someone shouted out 'Where's your fit younger sister?' hehe...which made me laugh...she was so skull-like in the face it was horrible! She looks like she doesn't eat- yeuch. I reckon a lot of the 'thin' celebrities are like that though...skeletal in real life. Then there was Sharon Osbourne...who couldn't stop and talk to us unlike the rest because the rain was coming down so heavily, it was awful- then just as she disappeared inside it started to brighten up again. Bloody rain.

Anyway...I stopped for lunch after I'd seen all of them. I went and sat again, just outside City Hall with a sandwich and a drink. Before I went back to the Stars' offices and started my work again. I stayed from 1.30-5pm, just typing up all kinds of NIB's, finishing off the stories I'd been told to investigate all day (which had involved a lot of calling up and asking people a lot of questions), then some guy who's son was swimming around the Isle of Wight called up and gave me some information about what he would be doing this weekend- which sounded pretty interesting. So I started to write that story up just before I was leaving, but I didn't write loads (just a few first paragraphs) as I then had to leave....and I came back here. To the IC.

I'll have to check if that router has come yet once I get back to the house. I doubt it will have though. They're like that Talktalk. Yesterday, I printed off twenty-five pages of terms and conditions in small print to do with them...and I don't like some of what it has to say. Nevertheless, we're going to use it to try and get our contract cut off with them if possible and also get some compensation for all the strife they've given us, unnecessarily. They'll be the ones paying, not us...the bastards. You know if we cut the contract with them, they expect us to pay £70?! What the fuck?! It makes no sense. I mean, if the 'net works again...fine...but it's been 2 months now and I can't see why we should go with a dodgy company who've done everything but keep their promise. The shitheads.

Anyway...I'm expecting I may have something in print tomorrow in the Star...so if I do, I'll tell you about it and keep the clippings as proof :p

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Well, I'm back in Sheffield. I'm writing this from that wonderful building called the Information Commons, since there is no internet working at the house at the minute. Which is grim. Oh and the phone has a fucking restriction on it- thank you Talktalk! For reasons unknown (I'm guessing the floods) but I look outside the window and all I see is sunshine- so pull the other one- we have paid the bills- give us our bloody phone back so we can call our loved ones! :( Arseholes. We have no service from them at the minute and so, we are forcing ourselves to put a brave face on it. I shouldn't be so angry- but I am. They've messed us around so much it's unbelievable. So we're definitely going to switch as they've been nothing but PATHETIC.

Anyway *sigh* that little rant over...I can get on with talking about my first day at my work placement. I got up super early (6am!) and showered, got ready etc, which took a while but I had to beat my housemate to the shower! haha before I left the house at 8.15am and walked up to the Sheffield Star's offices. I thought I'd bribe them with a packet of digestive biscuits, haha so I got some from the Spar. Then I had to find the reception- I wasn't sure where it was exactly, but I found it eventually and met up with Becky Lawly who took me upstairs and sat me down on a computer and showed me the works of the Star's office system. I was told to read the newspapers and see if there were any local stories within the nationals that could be written up- but there weren't. Much to my relief I was saved when the local crime correspondent came and told me there was an inquest into a guy who blew his brains out at 10am. Nice. I went along with her.

We got to the Coroners Court in good time and I was amazed by how much of a story was actually there- plus I got the whole thing down pretty much, in shorthand! Which goes to show how much I was concentrating, hehe. The story was tragic- an old guy who was mentally ill, blew his brains out after being released from a mental hospital too early by doctors. It was grim to hear and to see the family so upset. I mean the widow broke down crying as well as the sons. The widow was more angry to be honest though. Also we had to talk to the family at the end of it, which was really difficult- especially the part where we had to ask for a photo, they declined however. Which was to be expected I guess, but I guess we got our hopes up there- as something like that will easily make the front page news, since it's not every day someone kills themself with a rifle, in Sheffield.

The crime correspondent (forget her name now), said it would definitely be front page material- since the story is quite unique here...so maybe I can look forward to showcasing that story sometime over the week :) I'll let you know.

I had about a 45 minute lunch break, in which time I wrote the introduction to the story up. Before I went back to the office from about 1.30-4.30pm and wrote it all into the system and saved it- I will still have the chance to edit it tomorrow and since me and the crime correspodent have worked together today, we will be finishing it off tomorrow. Then I guess I'll be working on something new. Going to Court perhaps? Or something of the like. I'll keep you posted!

Tonight, I'm going to try and finish 'Seeds of Yesterday' - the fourth book in the Dollanganger saga, which has kept me so riveted for months! and then start 'Garden of Shadows' if I have the time, since I want to try and finish all of those before Saturday when the final and brand spanking new Harry Potter book comes out! Yep siree.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Nervous...is how I feel. I've had to take a valerium to try and calm me down. Think I might have to take another soon. It's because the time is looming...and I have to go back up to Sheffield tomorrow for my work experience next week.

But I can't stop worrying. Which isn't what I need at the minute. Still, I'll be OK. I'm taking a book or two and a few magazines to read over the weekend and in the evenings after what I suspect will be busy days in the office/out and about in the city.

It's kind of exciting in a way- I've never worked on a proper newspaper before, so I should be looking forward to it and whilst I am in a way, I'm already quaking with fear, haha. I'm sure it'll be a-ok though, after the first day of settling in and so forth.

I think I'll write a daily entry on here (if the internet is working at the house and I can get it to work on my laptop), about my work placement, day by day. Hopefully I will have plenty of interesting things to write about :) I guess I shall have to wait and see.

Hmmm...let's see what's happened since my last update. Well, the job interview went well- but I didn't get the job unfortunately as they wanted me to work a lot of evenings, which I had to be honest about and say I didn't really want to do because it would cause a lot of anxiety for me and fuck up my social situation- i.e- it would prevent me seeing my boyfriend and I'd have to walk back most likely on many an occasion. So I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I have however applied for two other jobs- one at the Hillcrest Hotel, they were looking for bar staff there (or so I got told; they're also looking for a chef) and I applied for a secretarial position with this company...but it's a very fast paced role,(but the best money I've seen for a temp job)- so if I got that, I'd be chuffed. They both have the advantages of being based in Widnes and either to be fair, would give me some valuable experience in a different area of work I have never worked in before. So there.

I watched a beautiful film this afternoon called 'Wings of Desire', an 80's german film...it's the original storyline that was re-worked into the American film 'City of Angels' starring Nicholas Cage, in 1998. WOD is about an angel who falls in love with a trapeze artist and wishes to become mortal, so that he can be with her. It's lovely, but really sad and poignant. It makes you think a lot about the failings of humans...and it's really cool to think that there could be all these fallen angels around. As angels, they can hear every human thought and often offer support to humans in turmoil...kinda like a guardian angel figure to the needy. They can hear your every thought, but they can't be seen, they're not visible beings. They guard over the city of Berlin from a tall angel statue... it was a really beautiful and moving series of thought sequences.

I've had to buy lots of ready meals to take back with me for next week- since I actually have no idea where my next meal may be coming from once I get there...and I suspect I will be rather lazy cuisine wise, in wanting to make anything. So I've got some ready made spinach and ricotta cannelloni, a goats cheese type calazone (I had one tonight) and a veggie lasagne. Yum. I'm sure I can sort myself out for the rest, once I get back there.

My parents bought me a lot of food from Chester.. bags of dried fruit and some honey and nut cereal :) yay and cereal bars, for breakfast. Which will save me buying them.

Hopefully, the 'net will be working at the house and I can give an update before Monday about the weekend. If not, I guess I will be nipping down to the IC a hell of a lot...*sigh* either way, I'll let you know :)

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

I have some good news. I've got a job interview on Friday for a temp job I've applied for- which is good because I wasn't sure if they'd even get back to me. But they did last night, so things are looking up and I may now have a job for the first time in two years :) yayyy. Which can only help me out, oh I don't know- IMMENSELY.

But I don't want to speak too soon incase it all comes crashing down around me. So I'm biting my tongue from saying too much, just so that if the whole thing backfires on me, I won't have said too much :p which is a very modest plan indeed.

Besides, it's only at the Asda. Hehe.

I've just had the most amazing meal with my parents. I drove them to Chester and back (which is the furthest I've ever drove before, so I'm feeling rather proud of myself about that) and on the way home, we stopped off at The Shrewsbury Arms. We always go there because the food they serve is just sooo delicious :) mmmm. I had a french onion soup for starters, followed by stir-fry vegetables in a plum sauce (it came with prawn crackers but I can't eat those) so my Dad ate them, haha. For dessert I had a chocolate bombé, which much to my amusement my Mum pronounced as 'chocolate bum' when she first heard the waitress saying it. Haha. Oh dear. It was just lovely. But I feel so stuffed after all of that, it's almost worrying.

So I may have to go and have a lay down.

The smoking ban came into effect from Sunday, but I haven't really noticed anything too different yet. Just that there's a lot more smokers on the streets or outside pubs now, as obviously it's illegal to smoke inside the premises. To me, I'm looking forward to going to a club now and coming home NOT smelling of smoke. Although at first I'm sure that will be a bit weird, yet no doubt something you'll get used to as the ban continues. In my opinion, it can only be a good thing.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

It feels good to be writing in here...yet again. Although nothing new has really happened.Same old, same old.

I've been staying at my boyfriend's house a lot. We've been making a lot of arrangements for hotels and things like that, for when we go London in August, to see Tool- three nights on the run :D hehe.

Well, twice in London, once in Manchester to the Apollo. That should be something to treasure in years to come.

I've been looking for a job- god, the whole process is appalling. I've been checking in at the job centre regularly- I've been finding a few I could do and then I'm back to square one, one way or another. For example, they only want permanent people, or the hours are too long for me, etc etc. I don't want to spend my entire summer holiday just working- that's not what it's about. I just want a casual job, to earn a bit of money to save up and so on. I've applied at a supermarket, but I'm starting to feel uneasy as to whether to take the job, as stupid as that sounds as I've heard the company can be harsh to work for...with hours and so forth. I dunno. I guess I will await a reply and go from there with it. As always.

My parents are going away on 'holiday', well, more like a mini-break to Devon for a couple of days, from tomorrow until next Thursday. They're meeting up with my brothers and their partners along the way- so it's kind of like a family getaway. I would've come, but I already promised my friend Mike that I'd come up to Lancaster and visit him for Extrav!, their Uni's end of year celebration/party, which this year has a Queen tribute band playing :p hehe. Which could be pretty cool.

I'm staying at Gary's for the week whilst my parents are away, I did get mithered to death to go with them to Devon- but I feel it is for the best that I stay here. I love staying with Gary, he's the BEST. We have such a great time whenever we're together and to be honest, if I had to choose between staying alone at home and coming to be with my boyfriend, well there's really no competition, is there?

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

I got really drunk, dirty, got to see tonnes of bands and just generally have a laugh with friends.

Such a shame we were camped next to ignorant cunts though, who barely spoke a word to us the whole time. I would've been up for making new friends, talking to some new people.

I've even come back with a bit of a tan! hehe. My face, arms and legs look rather brown and I'm pleased to say I have not overly burnt myself.

Bands I got to see: Megadeth, Dragonforce, Paramore, Enter Shikari, about 10 mins of Korn (some korn fan started on me and in general we found out most korn fans are knobs), Suicidal Tendencies, Turisas, Hell Yeah, Bring me the Horizon, Machine Head, Slayer, Marilyn Manson, Necro and Linkin Park.